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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Wednesday, April 4, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Bryce Canyon NP Poaching, Lacey Act Conviction On October 25, 2006, rangers were notified of a poaching incident within the park via several 911 calls and a report from a ranger in the interpretation division. The callers reported that three people were gutting a deer on the side of the road. Ranger Scott Engelhardt responded and conducted a vehicle stop on a vehicle matching the description of the one driven by the poachers. Engelhardt was able to obtain a confession from the shooter. Rangers seized the deer and rifle. On March 22nd, the shooter, J.H., pled guilty in federal court to a violation of the Lacey Act and was sentenced to a year's supervised probation, a $500 fine, and payment of $2,000 in restitution to the park. J.H. was also banned from visiting Bryce Canyon for one year. [Dave Fox, Ranger Operations Supervisor] Grand Canyon NP Body Found Below South Rim A man's body was found 300 feet below Mather Point on the South Rim at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 2nd. Around 4 a.m. that morning, the park received a call from mule wranglers who work with the park concessioner, reporting that they'd seen a steady light below the rim as they were coming out of the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail. Rangers contacted the wranglers and were guided to an area below Mather Point. Two search and rescue rangers rappelled over the edge and found the man's body. It was flown out that same morning and brought to the county coroner's office. Release of the name is pending identification by the medical examiner and notification of next of kin. It's not yet known if the light reported by the wranglers was related to this incident. Rangers are searching the area by ground and air to rule out other potential light sources. [Maureen Oltrogge, Public Affairs Officer] Kennesaw Mountain NBP Visitor Struck By SUV On Tuesday, March 27th, C.C. was struck by a small SUV on or near the crosswalk on Stilesboro Road in front of the park visitor center. Rangers and Cobb Fire and Emergency EMS personnel responded and were on scene within minutes. An annual law enforcement refresher training course was taking place in the visitor center at the time, and ranger Anthony Winegar and FLETC instructor Ken Meyer responded immediately. C.C. was transported via Lifeflight to Atlanta Medical Center, where he remains as of this date. C.C. is in critical condition and his family is at his bedside. Rangers and Cobb Police are conducting the investigation. [Lloyd R. Morris, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS The following stories can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites appear below: National Mall - News story from the Washington Post on cherry blossoms, now at their peak on in DC. Concessions Program - A report analyzing the NPS concession program and assessing concession contract competitiveness and program administration has been prepared and sent to Congress. A link to the report is included. DSC - Andrew (Andy) Beck, 56, architect and project specialist within the Design and Construction Division of the Denver Service Center, passed away Wednesday, March 28th. Whiskeytown NRA - The park has an opening for a GS-0025-12 supervisory park ranger (law enforcement). It will close on April 11th. To see the above articles, go to InsideNPS ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/) or NPS Digest ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/). For NPS incident reporting standards, go to HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363 * * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-426-2430). --- ### --- |